The 250-ha Mount Hogan property is also located on the Great Northern Peninsula, approximately 20 km east of Hawkes Bay (NTS 12I/10). The property is accessible by helicopter from Pasadena. In the late 1970’s, Cominco Ltd. carried out reconnaissance and detailed surveys in the region specifically targeting uranium. Ground follow-up of an airborne radiometric survey resulted in the discovery of a zone in the central part of the property, about 1500m by 100m with grab samples and small core samples from this area containing up to 1600 ppm U3O8 hosted by pegmatites and quartzite.
Visible bright yellow uranophane, a rare calcium uranium silicate hydrate mineral that forms from the oxidation of other uranium-bearing minerals, was also observed on the property in a leucosomatic pegmatite. Microscopic examination of the samples suggests the uranium minerals to be monazite, similar to Butterfly Pond, and uraninite, a radioactive, uranium-rich mineral and ore with a chemical composition that is largely UO2 but due to oxidation, typically contains variable proportions of U3O8. Radioactive decay of the uranium causes the mineral to contain oxides of lead and trace amounts of helium. Uraninite may also contain thorium and rare-earth elements.
Source: Mount Hogan Cominco Assessment File 12I/10/0123 012I_0123.pdf (gov.nl.ca)
